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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25022773">New Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ateezinutopia/pseuds/ateezinutopia'>ateezinutopia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Multi, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Teen Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:15:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25022773</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ateezinutopia/pseuds/ateezinutopia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three girls transfer to Ouran High School from America. Genevieve wants to explore the world before she’s tied down to the company she is set to inherit. Naomi is trying to navigate the new world she’s entered while learning the ropes of becoming the heir to her father’s company. Katherine escaped the mundane life she was destined to by following her two best friends to a Japan, hoping for a bigger purpose for herself. Together, they are exploring the new culture, prestigious school, and rambunctious host club. New things come at a higher price than they thought.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fujioka Haruhi/Suoh Tamaki, Hitachiin Hikaru/Original Female Character(s), Hitachiin Kaoru/Original Female Character(s), Morinozuka Takashi/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>New Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first time writing for an anime and OHSHC was the first anime I ever watched (about two months ago), so I’m still learning the culture and the honorifics. I apologize for any mistakes.<br/>I do not own any of the characters from the show, however, I do own my 3 OCs :).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katherine nearly trips over her own two feet, the black dress shoes required as part of the uniform clearly proving to be more difficult than she had originally thought. Naomi sticks her arm out, catching her clumsy friend and laughing at the soft grumbles coming from her. Katherine abruptly straightens, blue eyes glaring down at the offending piece of the uniform she despises. Her hands harshly run down the front of her yellow dress to rid the clothing of any non-existent wrinkles or dust. </p><p>“Feel better?”</p><p>Katherine turns her glare upward, meeting the teasing gaze of Genevieve. She receives a simple head tilt and a taunting smile in return. “Yes, I do,” Katherine retorts sharply. “Thank you so much for your concern.”</p><p>“Of course, darling. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t check up on you even in the crankiest of moods?” Genevieve reaches out, playfully ruffling her older friend’s hair before pulling away from any oncoming assault attempts.</p><p>Naomi snorts, glancing up from her notes to join in on the teasing. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”</p><p>“Your hair would agree,” Genevieve adds. “I told you to do something with it, Katherine. It is our first day at a prestigious foreign school and you came to school with bed head.”</p><p>“Hey! I straightened it last night, it’s not my fault it’s a little frizzy from sleeping.” Katherine reluctantly runs her fingers through her long hair - or at least she attempts to. The knots are stronger than they look. </p><p>“Does the bad attitude come with the frizzy hair? Like a sale?”</p><p>Katherine turns her gaze on Naomi who provides her with nothing more than a pair of finger guns before returning to the directions she was emailed to lead them to the main office. Genevieve, however, bursts out laughing, nearly spilling her coffee, but managing to somehow keep the lid on just in time. </p><p>“That-” she wiggles a finger at Naomi and nods in approval, trying to contain her laughter, “was a damn good one. And although I’m a sucker for a sale, I must say I’d like to decline this one. Where can I return both the frizzy hair and the attitude?”</p><p>Katherine throws her hands down like a child throwing a fit, groaning rather loudly. “Oh my god, stop! I know I’m cranky and my hair is a halo of frizz, I don’t need you to keep reminding me.” She turns to Naomi, “I genuinely don’t know how you always manage to get a decent amount of sleep or how you are a functioning human in the morning.” She turns to Genevieve, “And I certainly have no idea how you’re even alive. I mean you can pull all-nighters, then proceed to live on coffee for an absurd amount of time after that! You’re insane!” </p><p>“No, not insane. The politically correct term to describe me would be an extraterrestrial being sent to blow the minds of humans that limit themselves to the boundaries of eight hours of sleep.”</p><p>Katherine and Naomi slow their steps until they come to a stop, staring at their youngest friend with confusion and concern painted across their faces. Genevieve finishes her explanation and turns with a jolt. </p><p>“What?” She never realizes how she sounds to people that don’t understand the inner workings of her mind, and unfortunately for her two friends, Genevieve seems to be the only person that got the manual.</p><p>The two older girls give each other their usual “well alright then” look before continuing on their journey to the office and accepting the random turn in the conversation. The rest of the walk is fairly silent with Genevieve sipping at her coffee and Naomi leading the trio through the confusing halls of their new school. </p><p>They fail to notice the curious eyes of two students, watching them from around the corner. The students share bemused smiles before hopping off of the windowsill they had been lounging on and disappearing down the hall. </p><p>The girls reach the office door and Katherine opens the door, allowing her two friends to enter. Genevieve gives Katherine a curtsy, thanking her for being such a “gentleman”. Katherine responds with nothing more than an eye roll, following the pair inside and letting the door softly close behind her.</p><p>Naomi is the first to reach the secretary’s desk, informing her of their arrival. They each receive information about their class and a map of the school. The secretary tells them to take a seat while she notifies the student guide of their arrival, so he can show the girls to their classrooms. </p><p>Katherine leans back in her seat, crossing her arms and letting her head fall back against the seat. It’s not long before her eyes fall closed. Naomi notices quickly and elbows her friend in the ribs, startling her enough to nearly slip out of her chair. Katherine groans and rubs the now sore spot beneath her arm. </p><p>“Falling asleep will only make it worse, you know that,” Naomi points out, giving Katherine a pointed look. </p><p>Katherine waves her hand mindlessly. “Yeah, yeah. I know my issues with sleep, don’t need to tell me twice.”</p><p>Genevieve is surprisingly silent, admiring the work of whoever decorated the waiting room they’re sitting in. The walls are an impeccably glossy white with a swirly gray design across the ceiling. It’s like nothing she has ever seen before and she stares up at it in wonder, briefly questioning where the school’s priorities lie. Do they spend their money on design and architecture to fit the appearance that they have strategically built for themselves? And if so, does the budget of the athletics, the arts, and the academics of this school reflect the obvious amount of money they have just as the design does? </p><p>She covers her mouth, nearly giggling at her own thoughts. Her lack of sleep always brings out the inquisitive side of her. Genevieve finishes her coffee and walks to the trash can, dropping it in carefully, unsure if they even want her to throw trash away in the trash cans. Maybe they don’t want even their trash cans to look unappealing. She shrugs the thought away, turning to return to her seat just as the door from the hall opens, revealing a tall boy in a blue uniform. </p><p>Genevieve pauses in her movements, giving him a quick once over, mentally approving the fit of the uniform and the clearly intricate styling of his hair. She nods to herself and the boy notices her right away, a bright and polite smile spreading across his lips. He closes the door behind him and bows to Genevieve immediately, receiving one in return. </p><p>His gaze lingers on Genevieve and she continues giving him the friendly smile that is far less rehearsed than his appears to be. The boy catches himself staring and turns to Katherine and Naomi who stand up and bow to him as well. He bows to each girl in turn, giving them smiles that aren’t nearly as starstruck as the one he gave Genevieve. Naomi notices the glances he keeps giving their younger friend out of the corner of his eyes and looks at Katherine to see if she has noticed. She has, of course, and she is staring at the boy with a brow raised, clearly sizing him up. </p><p>“I’m Adachi Hisoka and I’ll be your guide this morning. Whenever you’re ready I can show you to your classes.” He gives each of them a warm smile that doesn’t reach his eyes until he looks at Genevieve. </p><p>Genevieve gives another friendly, but slightly uncomfortable smile to Hisoka before looking at the girls. “Ready?” No one would be able to notice just from the one-word question, but her tone gave away her urgency. </p><p>Naomi and Katherine grab their bags, gesturing for Genevieve to exit first. She does so quickly and the older girls follow behind her, forcing Hisoka to exit last. But as soon as he’s out of the door, he zooms passed Naomi and Katherine. He stops beside Genevieve and smiles down at her; a smile that made their skin crawl and their blood boil. </p><p>He briefly glances up at Naomi and Katherine before glancing down at Genevieve’s schedule in her hands, leaning forward and invading her personal space. Genevieve leans back, throwing a look of disgust over her shoulder. She mouths “help me” and Katherine steps forward with a grimace twisting her features unpleasantly. </p><p>“We’ll be seeing our lovely friend off first because we want to be sure she gets to class early enough to establish some sense of comfort in the space since she won’t have either of us there with her. You don’t mind, do you? It shouldn’t be too much of a problem considering the first-year classes are closest.” Katherine gives the boy a tight-lipped smile, moving Genevieve away from him and on her other side. </p><p>Hisoka takes a deep breath, the warmth in his eyes dying as they fall on Katherine instead of Genevieve. She can tell he’s biting his tongue. “Not a problem at all. You’re right, the first-year classes are down the next hall and the second-year classes are a little farther down. It would only make sense to do it that way.”</p><p>Naomi creeps onto his other side so he’s sandwiched between the irritated girls. “Fantastic. Let’s get there quickly because we all care about our studies deeply and we want to be well-acquainted with our surroundings as soon as possible to produce the best learning environments.”</p><p>Katherine and Naomi share a look before grabbing each of Hisoka’s arms and pulling him along with them as they speed walk down the hall, turning the corner and mindlessly chattering about their passion for academics to keep him from talking. Genevieve trails a few steps behind the trio, adorning a pleased smirk.</p><p>Hisoka attempts to glance back at her, but Naomi and Katherine ask about directions, pulling his attention back to the hall in front of him and not the uncomfortable first-year behind them. “So what class are you in Hisoka?” Naomi questions sweetly.</p><p>“2B.”</p><p>Katherine nearly rolls her eyes at the news of him being in the same year as her but quickly stops herself because the good news is he’s not in the same class as she and Naomi. She plasters a fake smile on her face and musters up enough energy to use her polite voice. “Wow, so you’re in the same year as Naomi and I. That’s good to know.”</p><p>He hums, but says nothing in return, slowing to a reluctant stop outside of an open classroom door on the left. “This is your class.” He gestures to the door and pulls from the girls’ harsh grip, turning around to face Genevieve. “Class 1A.”</p><p>But Naomi and Katherine are quick and they whip around to wrap their arms around their younger friend, spinning her around so the annoying onlooker can’t even see her face. Naomi and Katherine smile at each other before quickly covering it with faces of disappointment and sadness. They pull back and Genevieve gives them each a grateful smile. </p><p>Naomi gently grabs Genevieve’s head and plants a quick, and somewhat aggressive, kiss on her forehead. Naomi pulls away and turns quickly, pretending to hold back tears, but in reality, she’s doing everything in her power not to burst out laughing at the scene they’re putting on. Katherine moves in and takes each of Genevieve’s hands in her own, pulling her in a quick circle, then spinning her into the classroom. She releases her younger friend’s hand but lets her hand hang in the air for a few moments, fingers outstretched, before dramatically closing it into a fist and pressing it to her lips to “muffle” her “cries” of “despair”.</p><p>It was really just ridiculous at this point; nothing short of unnecessary, albeit show-stopping. The older girls lean against each side of the doorway, watching tearfully as Genevieve walks up to the teacher and begins introducing herself. Katherine can hear Hisoka huff behind them and the girls glance at each other with sly smirks on each of their faces. Naomi is the first to step back into the hall, conversing with Hisoka about her appreciation of the small amount of greenery scattered throughout the halls near the windows. This is too funny. </p><p>Katherine bites her lip to stop a laugh from escaping, waiting for Genevieve to turn around. When she does she gives her a small, knowing bow and Genevieve returns the gesture with a nod of approval and a subtle thumbs-up. Genevieve is thankful and she reminds herself to express that to her friends at lunch. Without them, she would have either walked out of school or slapped the boy, getting her expelled before she even started her first day. </p><p>She’s also grateful that there are only a few students scattered here and there throughout the room, most of which have their noses stuck in books or their phones, not even giving the dramatic scene a second of their precious time. However, she seems to miss the two pairs of eyes that watch her as she shuffles to her seat. The same pairs of eyes that noticed the girls in the hall before they entered the office.</p><p>While Genevieve gets settled in her new class, Katherine and Naomi reluctantly walk down the halls with Hisoka. Katherine bites the inside of her cheek to keep from sighing or complaining; she is all-too-aware that she needs to respect the culture that she now lives in. Politeness and respect are crucial and expected, so it’s better for her to stay silent so she doesn’t slip up.</p><p>Naomi, on the other hand, has continued constant conversations with the tall boy since the three left the first-year hall. Asking him about interior design, the class set-up, the bell schedules, and even the extracurriculars. Katherine finds the situation incredibly amusing considering Hisoka’s smile is so fake and forced at this point that it looks as though his face may split where his lips strain to hold the smile. </p><p>Naomi is nothing if not thorough when she has a goal in mind, and the goal at hand is to be sure Hisoka dislikes the two girls enough to realize it’s not worth harassing their younger friend. Naomi can go on for hours about anything and everything that she thinks of and with the new school, she has endless new topics to chatter about. She has just moved on to discussing the lunch menus when Hisoka claps his hands together and lets out a forced chuckle. </p><p>“Alright, well this is your class. 2A.” He gestures to the door, much like he did for Genevieve, though his hand flails carelessly now. He barely looks at them over his shoulder as he adds, “I’m just down the hall in 2B, as you already know, so if you need anything that is where you can find me.”</p><p>With a final tense smile, he turns on his heel, practically pushing other students out of the way to escape the two nightmares he got stuck with. Katherine finally loses her cool and trails after him for a few steps, mocking his words silently and making dramatic faces while she flings her arms around. </p><p>Naomi snorts at the somewhat accurate recreation before grabbing her friend’s forearm and pulling her away from the retreating second-year. Katherine rolls her eyes and bites the inside of her cheek once again, reluctantly letting herself get pulled into the classroom and out of sight from the prying eyes of all the students moving up and down the halls. However, there are two students who saw the whole scene. One incredibly amused and curious while the other simply hums quietly, sharp eyes watching each girl closely. </p><p>Naomi leads her and Katherine up to the teacher, each of them bowing respectfully and formally introducing themselves. They explain their situations to the teacher and chat with him for a few minutes, listening to his directions and advice regarding the class very carefully. Naomi even flips her schedule over and begins erratically scribbling every bit of information she can just so she doesn’t forget. After the two thank him and bow once more, they turn and find that most of the class is seated already, only a few students trickling in before the bell rings, marking the beginning of the school day. </p><p>Katherine’s heartbeat spikes immediately and it takes all of her self-control not to let her face show her surprise or embarrassment. She drops her head, letting her hair fall in her face, and quickly scurries to the last row of desks where two empty seats await their arrival. Naomi is right behind her and the two slip into their seats as gracefully as possible. </p><p>Unfortunately, they’re never that lucky and Naomi hits her knee on the side of the desk, a hand just barely managing to muffle a gasp of pain, while Katherine slides in with too much power, nearly slipping off the other side of the chair. Luckily she catches herself and stiffens into a sitting position, folding her hands on the desk and keeping her spine as straight as a pole. She glances around, noticing a few students giving them weird looks, and waits until their eyes return to the front before she lets herself slump forward, running her hands through her hair to push it out of her face. </p><p>Katherine lolls her head to the side, watching as Naomi cradles her injured knee. Her face is a little pink from holding in her sounds of pain, but after a few deep breaths, she manages to collect herself and slowly release the death grip on her knee. Naomi gives her friend a sheepish smile before rushing to pull out her notebook and history book. Katherine stares ahead for a moment before bringing her hands up and letting her face fall into her slightly sweaty palms. </p><p>Nothing like clumsiness and awkward tension to welcome them to a new school. </p><p>//</p><p>Lunch could not come fast enough and as soon as the bell rang for freedom the girls were out of their seats and darting around students, racing to Genevieve’s classroom. They told her this morning that she is supposed to wait outside of her classroom, so they can meet up and walk to the lunchroom together. Truth be told, it was more for the older girls’ sake because they were slower to adapt to new environments and making new friends. In a way, they relied on their younger friend’s ability to make the most out of any situation and quickly adjust to her surroundings, even if it’s a new country and culture.</p><p>Katherine and Naomi maneuver through the crowds of students, surprisingly careful footsteps leading them through the halls until they spot Genevieve standing outside her door. Naomi calls her name and she lifts her head, smiling wide enough to make her eyes narrow ever so slightly. Genevieve skips over to them, meeting them halfway and quickly grabbing each of their hands while jumping up and down like a child on Christmas morning. </p><p>“Don’t you guys just love it here? I love this place so much!” Genevieve is practically bursting at the seams from the get-go and Katherine blinks at her, struggling to keep up with her excitement. </p><p>Naomi, however, nods along, swinging their intertwined hands. “Oh, that’s so good to know! I was so worried about you!”</p><p>Genevieve stops bouncing and tilts her head like a puppy confused about something. “Worried about me? But you know I do the best in new situations. If anything, I should be worried about you two fixating on homework and staying late at school just to have an excuse for your lack of socializing-”</p><p>After the initial shock, then acceptance of her words, Naomi had turned to stand beside her rambling friend, sliding an arm over her shoulder and using that hand to cover her mouth, successfully ending the shots that kept hitting the older girls. Naomi purses her lips, Katherine stands with her mouth ajar, and Genevieve looks between the girls curiously. </p><p>“Sweetie.” Genevieve looks at Naomi out of the corner of her eyes at the disappointed tone behind the term of “endearment”. “We’re both fully aware of your social skills and our lack thereof, we just like to feel like we’re the ones worrying about you instead of the other way around to heal our wounded pride. However, we appreciate your honesty no matter how brutal.”</p><p>Naomi removes her hand from Genevieve’s mouth and gently taps the girl’s nose, but lets her arm remain across her shoulders. Katherine manages to close her mouth and stare out the window to her left that is overlooking the main courtyard. “Yeah, thanks,” she adds unenthusiastically. </p><p>Genevieve cringes and inhales sharply through her teeth. “Oh, sorry. My bad. I was just so excited that I lost my filter.”</p><p>“No worries.” Katherine waves her hand to emphasize her words, turning on her heel to start walking down the hall. “Nothing we weren’t already aware of, just shocking to hear what we’d be like on paper. Pretty boring, if you ask me.”</p><p>Naomi sighs and follows behind the oldest girl, pulling Genevieve closer to her body and grabbing her left hand with her free hand. “Agreed. Maybe our lovely friend here would be willing to share some of her extensive social knowledge with us, so we don’t end up being weird loners.”</p><p>Katherine turns and begins walking backward, eyeing Genevieve. “Yeah, what do you say, Gen? Care to help your helpless elders find their way in this big, scary school?”</p><p>“Are you going to be this dramatic about it the entire time?”</p><p>Naomi snorts and Katherine pretends to laugh. “Of course,” they respond in unison. </p><p>Genevieve rolls her eyes but sports an amused smile. “Yes, I would be honored to help you two attempt to navigate the interpersonal workings of this prestigious and complicated school.” She stops mid-step and holds up a finger. “But on one condition.”</p><p>Naomi pulls away and crosses her arms. Yep. As expected.”</p><p>Katherine stops as well, letting out a long sigh. “Hit us with it, then.” She holds her arms out and hangs her head, waiting for the inevitable. </p><p>Genevieve smirks and crosses her arms, jutting her hip out - her typical “I’m about to get my way” stance. “We have to do everything my way. Listening to my advice, talking to people, joining activities and clubs, and attending school events. Everything. My. Way.”</p><p>Katherine presses her tongue against the inside of her cheek, dropping her arms and staring at the wall to her right, suddenly admiring the excellent paint job. Naomi does something similar, avoiding initial eye contact and trying to wait out the other girl. </p><p>This is always how it goes. Genevieve has a condition (or several) and Naomi and Katherine always try to wait the other out to see who will agree first; to see if it’s worth agreeing to. But there is only one foreseeable ending to these situations: Naomi caves first, Katherine agrees immediately afterward, and Genevieve gets a little pep in her step, knowing full well that whatever her condition is means she has control over something - and in turn gets her way.</p><p>Katherine and Naomi release dejected sighs, sharing a look that they’ve shared a thousand times before. It’s a “we just sold our soul to the devil” look and it always means they’ll be dragged through something they’re not comfortable with. The annoying part, however, is that in the end they always see the bright side of the situation and end up happier on the other side because Genevieve wouldn’t present a condition if it didn’t have 1) a positive outcome, and 2) the best interest of everyone involved. It’s annoying because then she has the right to say that she was right yet again.</p><p>The rest of the walk to the lunchroom consists of Genevieve animatedly explaining why she loves the school so much, practically giving a play by play about every second she spent in class. She’s only been in that class half a day and she already remembers everyone’s names and even made two “friends”. Katherine wouldn’t classify them as friends - acquaintances at best - because she met them not even four hours ago, but who is she to judge. She’s the one that requires assistance branching out and meeting new people. </p><p>With a sigh, she opens the door to the lunchroom, gesturing for her friends to enter. They do so quickly, getting excited about the premium lunch options. When they reach the counter where they can order their food most of the lunchroom is already full, students occupying most of the tables around the large room. </p><p>Naomi and Genevieve order quickly, receiving their food almost immediately, and glance over at Katherine who is leaning against the counter with her head down. Genevieve nudges her and she falls forward slightly, almost hitting her head, but catching herself just in time. </p><p>“Oh? What? Why?” Katherine’s narrowed eyes find Genevieve after a moment of glancing around.</p><p>“Did you seriously just fall asleep?” Genevieve questions with a raised brow and amused smile. </p><p>Naomi laughs at the sight of her friend, practically falling asleep mid-conversation. “Oh my god, you’re ridiculous. You should have gotten more sleep.”</p><p>Katherine holds her index finger up with her eyes still closed. “No, no. It’s lunch. That means I get to doze off as much as I want without getting scared awake like in class. Please, just let me have this time.”</p><p>Naomi and Genevieve share an eye roll. “Are you going to get food?”</p><p>Katherine shakes her head as it slowly falls, dark hair falling in front of her until she looks like the girl from the ring. “No food. Only sleep.”</p><p>Naomi loops her arm around Katherine’s and leads her stumbling mess of a friend to a small, rectangular table off to the right of the room. It’s near the wall, but not completely secluded, and even better - it’s not occupied by students. They reach the table and Naomi drops her friend into the middle seat, setting her tray down with a lot more care than she did with Katherine. Genevieve lets out a boisterous laugh at her sleeping friend’s misfortune but it only lasts for a moment because as soon as her butt touches the chair she shoves a big bite of food in her mouth, closing her eyes as she savors the taste.</p><p>“Wow, this is amazing. Some of the best food I’ve had since we got to Japan.”</p><p>“We’ve only been here for like a week,” Naomi responds around her own bite of food. “But despite that fact, I have to agree. This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth and I’m not sure I even know what it is because I don’t speak fancy yet.”</p><p>Genevieve snorts and almost lets some of her food spill out of her mouth. She grabs a napkin quickly and presses it against her mouth as she finishes chewing. “Nope. Can’t afford to lose any; it’s too damn good.”</p><p>“Whoa, whoa. Be careful there. I know it’s good, but we can’t afford to slip up and get careless with our language.”</p><p>“Noted.”</p><p>The girls are enjoying their first lunch at their new school more than they thought they would. In fact, they’re enjoying it so much they fail to realize that about half of the lunchroom is watching their table closely, observing the new foreign students with curious or judgemental eyes. Most of the students can’t decide how they feel about the American students, but some have already decided they don’t care for them or their “weird ways”.</p><p>However, on the flip side, there are a handful of students scattered around that are intrigued by the three new girls and want nothing more than to invite them into their school with open arms. Most of these students currently residing at one table across the large room with a few pairs of eyes in particular. </p><p>But suddenly the mystery table’s view is blocked as a tall boy stops in front of the girls’ table, resting his hands on the cool surface and leaning down. Hisoka. Genevieve drops her head for a moment, taking a deep breath and trying to control her urge to smack the boy with her chopsticks. Why must he ruin a perfectly good meal with his creepy presence?</p><p>Naomi eyes his predatory gaze with disdain and disgust, letting her face reveal her true emotions for a moment before she pulls herself together. A tense smile pulls at her lips and she wipes around her mouth, giving the slightest glance in Genevieve’s direction.</p><p>“Ah, Adachi-san. So nice to see you again,” Naomi forces out through gritted teeth, her sickly sweet tone not going unnoticed by Genevieve. “What brings you to our table?”</p><p>“Just thought I’d check in and see how all of you are doing so far. Enjoying your first day?” He lets his eyes shamelessly linger on Genevieve longer than necessary. </p><p>“Enjoying it to the fullest, thank you for asking!” Naomi’s voice lifts to a higher pitch than is comfortable for her, but she wants to get her point across that he isn’t welcome without being outwardly rude toward him. Impoliteness is not acceptable at this school, yet Hisoka seems to be fond of overstepping boundaries and being impolite.</p><p>“I never got your names, by the way.” He lets his eyes sweep over Katherine and Naomi for a moment, letting his clear disdain for them shine in his eyes before his gaze finds the youngest girl once again. “I realized it was rude of me to forget to ask earlier.”</p><p>Naomi bites back a quip as Genevieve reluctantly speaks up. “Genevieve Westwood.” Her lips are pursed and eyes narrowed, making her look like she just ate a lemon.</p><p>Naomi internally sighs. “Naomi Pierce. And this,” she leans over and digs her elbow into Katherine’s side, scaring the girl awake, “is Katherine Rowe.”</p><p>“Why?” Katherine groans, pressing a cool hand to her warm forehead. She always hated how much body heat she produces when she naps. “What’s happening?”</p><p>Naomi gives her a tense smile and glances at Hisoka. “We have a visitor.”</p><p>Katherine turns her attention to the boy standing in front of Genevieve and leaning against the table like he owns the place. His arms are crossed and he’s trying to make flirty small talk with her, but it’s clear to everyone but him that she’s not interested. </p><p>“Oh, what a surprise. I would have thought you had friends you’d much rather spend your lunch with,” Katherine spits out, cranky from being woken up, but even more annoyed with the intrusive boy’s presence. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”</p><p>Hisoka turns his gaze on the newly awoken Katherine, eyes narrowing into slits and expression exposing just how irritated he is with their interruptions. “Oh, trust me, the pleasure is all mine. I was simply curious about the progress of your first day, thus far.”</p><p>“It’s rather amazing. A spectacular school filled with opportunities and brilliant minds. It’s a lot to take in, but I think we’re doing well for ourselves.” Katherine looks at each of her friends in question. “Right, girls?”</p><p>They nod along. “Yes, the school is like nothing I’ve seen before,” Genevieve adds wistfully. </p><p>“And we’re enjoying our time exploring the school as we go. It’s like a surprise around every corner for us.” Naomi stands up abruptly, placing her hands on the table and leaning forward to mirror his intrusive and entitled body language. The edge in her voice presents a slight challenge. “In fact, we were just finishing up and discussing our plan of where to explore next.”</p><p>Genevieve stands up as well, picking up her tray and moving around the back of the table to swipe Naomi’s tray as well. “That we were. So much to see, so little time, it feels.” Genevieve is quick to drop into a bow, never meeting Hisoka’s glaring eyes. “I’ll clean this up and meet you two in the hall, right?”</p><p>“Right behind you,” Naomi responds cooly, straightening herself and stepping around the table. “Thank you for checking up on us, Adachi-san, we’re grateful for your compassion. We’re aware that you didn’t have to.”</p><p>“No need to thank me, I’m glad to have done it. I was granted the responsibility of showing you to your classes this morning.” He’s trying to find a way to wiggle himself in. “I’m also glad to have had a moment for proper introductions, it was a shame this morning was so rushed and I couldn’t catch all of your names. But now that I have them, I’m sure we can keep in touch.” He bows slightly to each of them and they return it. “Naomi-san, Katherine-san, I hope to speak to the three of you soon.”</p><p>With a smirk, he slowly turns and makes his way to the table that was on the far side of the room. Katherine and Naomi watch him even after he sits down and begins chatting with his friends. He looks at them once more, waving to them with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. In fact, when he uses that smile most of his face doesn’t move, giving him the appearance of a robot. Hisoka pulls his attention away from them and returns to his friends’ conversation.</p><p>Naomi sighs and manages to pull herself away from the situation, shuffling across the lunchroom and leaving through the door Genevieve went through. Katherine bites the inside of her cheek, watching him for a few more moments before bringing herself back to reality. Her tired eyes glance down at the table in front of her and she realizes she’s still standing behind it, though she can’t seem to remember when she stood from her seat.</p><p>Katherine takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. It’s annoying to her that she can become so easily annoyed by someone clearly trying to get under her skin. She wouldn’t dare to lose her temper, especially in front of the entire school, but letting someone have the satisfaction of seeing her irritation in response to their poking at her is enough to have her clenching her fists. The feeling of her nails digging into the skin of her palms pulls Katherine from her thoughts and she quickly pushes all the chairs in, escaping the scene of her annoyance and emerging into the hall where Genevieve and Naomi are openly complaining about the “issue” on their hands.</p><p>“He’s so sleazy and weird, ugh!” Genevieve groans, shaking her hands like she can rid herself of his memory. She pretends to fake cry, throwing herself against the nearest wall. “Why me?”</p><p>Naomi shakes her head, playfully rolling her eyes. “Leave it to you to gain the attention of any and all boys in a two-mile radius.”</p><p>Genevieve immediately stops her dramatic fake crying and leans her head on the wall, angling her body toward her two friends. “Well,” she drawls, lifting a brow, “actually, I may have-”</p><p>Naomi lifts a hand. “Nope. No, thank you. Let’s focus on one boy situation at a time, please. I can only take in so much in one day.”</p><p>“But it’s not a ‘situation’, more of… a blossoming friendship.”</p><p>Katherine laughs and shakes her head, rubbing her shoe in a sweeping motion across the perfect flooring. “Already? We’ve been here half a day.”</p><p>“Sorry, I actually talk to people. Let’s not forget the deal we made. You two will have friends here in no time, just you wait.”</p><p>“Good. I’m fine with waiting,” Katherine snorts, receiving a light slap from Genevieve. She rubs the assaulted area and frowns. “Hey! Rude.”</p><p>“Stop being so flippant about the idea of making friends here - or in general. Making new friends, joining in on school activities, and enjoying yourself isn’t a bad thing.” Genevieve turns her gaze to Naomi and the girl under her burning gaze lifts her hands in surrender.</p><p>“I didn’t say anything. I know what I agreed to.”</p><p>Genevieve nods to herself and crosses her arms, triumphantly. “Good.” She turns on her heel, dress fluttering around her elegantly while her hair flips over her shoulder. If she had been in slow motion it would have been a shot to rave over. Genevieve moves down the hall quickly, turning her head to add, “Because I have plans for you two.”</p><p>Katherine and Naomi grimace, looking at each other and sharing a silent conversation within the span of a few seconds. They reluctantly follow after their friend, not willing to lose her as she glides through the halls easily, like she’s been going here her whole life. </p><p>“Come on, my ducklings.” She claps twice and does a quick spin. “We have more of the school to see.”</p><p>//</p><p>The bell rings, marking the end of their first day and Katherine’s head immediately drops into her folded arms, her forehead throbbing slightly after the thud. She is beyond exhausted and wants nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep until tomorrow morning. Though she knows that won’t be the case. She still has homework and dinner.</p><p>Her breathing begins to slow as she nearly succumbs to sleep for the second time today, but Naomi lightly slaps her arm to get her attention. Katherine lifts her head, turning toward Naomi, but keeps her eyes closed.</p><p>“Come on. Can’t fall asleep on me now, we have to go pick our tormenter up from her classroom.” Naomi grabs either side of Katherine’s face and moves her head back and forth, laughing at the ridiculous sight. “And the sooner we do that, the sooner we can get home.”</p><p>With that goal in mind, Katherine manages to pull herself off of the chair and stand up, finally opening her eyes. When she does she’s met with a face staring at her through the doorway, dark hair hanging like a waterfall. Katherine shrieks and nearly falls over her chair as she steps back. She manages to regain her balance and step away from the desk, slapping a hand to her heart and doing everything in her power to control her breathing. She’s afraid she might have a heart attack.</p><p>Naomi whipped around as soon as Katherine shrieked and when she spotted the reason for her freak out she gasped and jumped back, but quickly realized it was their friend peeking her head around the corner and smiling at them. Naomi closes her eyes for a moment, running a hand down her face before she opens them and watches as her friend cheerfully skips into the room.</p><p>“Hey, guys!” She chirps, playing with the skirt of her dress.</p><p>“I hate it already,” Katherine groans, fully aware that her friend isn’t in a good mood for no reason.</p><p>“Don’t be a Debbie downer,” Genevieve retorts, tilting her head as her body begins swaying back and forth to match the movement of her dress. “You should be happy to see me.”</p><p>“How did you even get here?” Naomi asks, grabbing her bag and moving down the rows of desks. “I didn’t know you knew where this room was.”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t, but remember the friendship I told you about at lunch?”</p><p>“The blossoming one?”</p><p>“Yep! Well, they have two friends in this class and when I told them you two were in this class they were happy to lead me to it. Now you guys don’t always have to come to me!”</p><p>Katherine and Naomi share an uneasy glance. Naomi is the first to speak up, “They?”</p><p>Genevieve straightens up, her gentle turning coming to a stop as she perks up and begins nodding like an excited child. “Yeah, twins! They’re in my class and I sit in front of them! They also have another friend in that class, but I didn’t get to talk to him as much because he was busy studying. They were really friendly though!”</p><p>As she reveals this new information, two red-headed boys waltz into the room and rest an arm on either of her shoulders, mirroring each other’s positions. It was odd, to say the least, because they look so alike, even wearing identical smirks. Genevieve holds her arms up, palms facing upward to display the two boys on either side of her. </p><p>“And they’re a part of a club!” She bounces on the balls of her feet lightly, clapping her hands together. “We can’t join, per se, due to it being all-male members, but we can visit and interact!”</p><p>Naomi watches on with mild horror sweeping across her face, mouth opening and closing in utter confusion. It’s clear she can’t process it all at once, and still in the back of the class, Katherine is suffering from the same issue. Katherine makes quiet noises as she struggles to find any and all words.</p><p>“You- what? All-male? That doesn’t even make any sense. Who has all-male clubs anymore? What kind of school is this?” Naomi rambles out at the speed of light, waving her arms around frantically. “Who are they?”</p><p>“These are the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru-san and Kaoru-san. Can’t tell them apart yet, but we have a bet going, so we’ll see if I can win.” They smirk at her words and Katherine places her hands on her desk, letting her weight settle forward as her head drops. She can never turn down a bet. “And it’s nothing sexist, at least not from what I know of it-”</p><p>“We can assure with absolute certainty-” the twin on the right begins.</p><p>“-that there is nothing sexist about our club,” the twin on the left finishes.</p><p>And together they say, “Tell them about it.” The glint in both pairs of eyes is unsettling and Naomi rubs her forehead, wondering how her younger friend managed to befriend such sketchy characters on her first day. </p><p>Katherine finally lifts her head but lets it rest on her tensed up shoulder. “Genevieve, what did you do?”</p><p>The twins reveal matching smirks at the same time that somehow become more threatening and alluring. Katherine’s stomach drops and she avoids their sharp gazes, keeping her focus on her friend. She feels like a mouse being watched by the cat, and she’s not sure how long she’ll be able to put up with it.</p><p>“Wait, I don’t want to tell them until we visit.” She looks at each of them before dropping her voice to a whisper that she knows both girls can still hear. “I told you about how they are with socializing.”</p><p>“Excuse me?” Naomi questions, taking a threatening step forward, and, on instinct, Genevieve steps back, allowing the twins’ arms to fall to their sides. “That is no one’s business.”</p><p>“Okay, look we have a deal don’t we? Do you remember our one condition?” </p><p>Naomi stiffens at her words, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Katherine watches it unfold with little interest and fluttering eyes, still trying to fight off sleep. However, she does notice the twins give each other a look before scanning their gazes over each of the girls. At least, they don’t know about that part.</p><p>“Whatever, I don’t care,” Katherine concedes, pushing her chair in and grabbing her bag. She swings it over her shoulder and moves to the front of the class, passing by an ogling Naomi. Even Genevieve looks surprised.</p><p>“Really?” Both girls question at once, looking at each other in shock before turning their attention back to Katherine. </p><p>“But you always fight the most,” Genevieve says apprehensively, not sure if she should believe what she’s hearing.</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m tired and at this point, I don’t care. We have a deal and we have to abide by your one condition. So whatever; I’ll do what I have to, I just want to go take a nap.” Katherine steps forward to leave the classroom, but the twins slide in front of her. </p><p>Genevieve inhales sharply through her teeth. “You see, here’s the thing-”</p><p>Naomi groans dramatically and lets her head fall into her hands. “What did you do now?”</p><p>One of the twins answers instead with a teasing lilt to their voice, “She said that she would be bringing her friends to our club after school today-”</p><p>“-to visit and join in on the activities. We can only assume-”</p><p>“-that it falls under the condition you mentioned before, which means-”</p><p>“-that you must visit,” they finish together.</p><p>Katherine rolls her eyes, already over their antics. “Gen, why would you do that? I could be on my merry way to a nap right now.” She turns her head and watches as Naomi paces in front of the desks.</p><p>She finally stops and slowly turns around to the rest of the group. Naomi meets Katherine’s eyes and Katherine nods reluctantly. “Fine. We’ll go.”</p><p>The twins snicker. “Well, from what we’ve heard you don’t really have a choice.”</p><p>“It’s funny to watch you two pretend to give permission though.”</p><p>Genevieve walks up behind them and lightly smacks the back of their heads. “Don’t make it worse.”</p><p>They grumble but take a few steps back, rubbing their heads. Crossing their arms, they remain silent for the first time since they entered. </p><p>Genevieve smiles at her cranky friends. “It’ll be fun, trust me.” She loops her arms through each of theirs, leading them to the door.</p><p>“You’ve never even been there before!” Naomi argues loudly.</p><p>“Fair point, but we all know I have a sixth sense for finding fun.”</p><p>Katherine rolls her eyes but says nothing because she knows it’s true, even if she doesn’t want to admit it out loud. Genevieve looks at the twins and they disappear into the hall, allowing Genevieve to follow behind them, keeping her arms tightly wrapped around each girl’s arms so they can’t escape. Not that they would; they’ve already accepted their fate.</p><p>The walk down the halls is confusing and borderline obnoxious. The twins won’t stop asking the girls about the condition and the deal. Their curiosity makes them pushy and fixated on the goal of obtaining information that is none of their business. It is grating on Katherine’s nerves as they circle around the trio of girls like birds circling their prey. Their teasing voices and blunt words would be a lot to handle on a regular day, but Katherine is tired and doesn’t particularly appreciate the supposed charms they claim these traits to be.</p><p>“Is this all the two of you know how to do?” Katherine asks with more force behind her words than she meant to. “The only trick up your sleeve is to pretend you're charming while you’re really just doing anything you can to get your way?”</p><p>The twins smirk at each other, moving around her quickly. Each twin wraps an arm across her shoulders, leaning in close enough to have her breath catching in her throat at the unexpected intrusion of space.</p><p>“Oh, you hear that Kaoru? She isn’t pleased with us,” the twin on her left - Hikaru, she has realized - purrs next to her ear.</p><p>The twin on her right - Kaoru - lets his nose brush against her hair, making her shiver. Both boys chuckle darkly, a sinister noise, really. “You don’t think we’re charming?”</p><p>“Maybe we should show her some of the other tricks up our sleeve.” </p><p>“Or we can wait. Keep her on her toes and pull out our tricks when she least expects it.”</p><p>“A fun toy to play with,” they chorus, taunting voices mixing together. </p><p>Katherine swallows and shakes herself out of their grip, moving to the other side of the empty hall. Her cheeks are tinted pink and she avoids everyone’s gaze, embarrassed by the unexpected attention. Genevieve laughs but swats each boy anyway. </p><p>“Stop flirting with my friends you pervs,” she mock-scolds them. She sends a suspicious smile over her shoulder at Naomi and Katherine, winking at them. “Or at least wait until we get to your club.”</p><p>The twins join in on her laughter, the three of them finding something funny in her words that Naomi and Katherine weren’t aware of. The feeling of being left out of some sort of inside joke drags down Naomi’s mood and she begins pouting, letting her shoulders slump forward and her feet shuffle across the ground. Katherine notices and quickly wraps an arm around her shoulders. </p><p>“Yep. We did this.” </p><p>Katherine’s statement is short, but Naomi knows exactly what she means because she was thinking the same thing. “Her traps are the worst. How do we always fall into them?”</p><p>“Because they’re good deed traps. She does them to get us to do something that will lead us in the right direction because we, for some reason, can’t seem to get there ourselves.”</p><p>Naomi softly groans and tilts her head back. “God, I know. She pulls us out of our comfort zones by leaving a path of cheerios toward the end goal that we’re too scared of.”</p><p>“Just like Sully does for Boo in Monsters Inc.” Katherine shakes her head and chuckles. “We’re like her children.”</p><p>“It’s hard to believe she’s the youngest sometimes,” Naomi notes, watching Genevieve laugh with her new demon friends. “At least, we know she can make friends and won’t be lonely in her class.”</p><p>“Really hurts my pride that I’m the oldest and I’m being forced into a peer activity by three people younger than me.” Katherine slaps a hand to her chest like she was shot. “God, reality burns.”</p><p>Naomi snorts and rolls her eyes. “Looks like we’re in the same boat.” Naomi releases a breath through her nose before leaning closer to her friend and whispering, “What kind of club do you think these two would be a part of?”</p><p>Katherine purses her lips, pondering the question as she watches the identical twins curiously. She drops her volume to match Naomi’s. “I don’t know. I mean it’s an all-male club, which knowing them so far makes some sort of sense.” The girls share an “ugh, boys” look. “I want to know just how many boys are in this club.”</p><p>“True.” Naomi files back through her memories, trying to recall what else the boys had said about the club. “Or why we’re allowed to visit. It’s an all-male club, but we can still visit. What’s that about?”</p><p>Katherine shakes her head, staring out of the window to her left. “Beats me. I hate not knowing things, and this is an inside secret that Genevieve knows about, but won’t share with us. I hate it.” Her face twists bitterly and she turns her head, accidentally meeting the gaze of one of the twins. “What?”</p><p>“Secrets don’t make friends,” he announces. </p><p>“Not trying to.”</p><p>Genevieve clears her throat and lifts a finger, peeking around the twin. “Condition.”</p><p>The boys share a glance, walking with a little more pep in their step. “So it has to do with friends, huh?”</p><p>“Not necessarily,” Naomi adds. “The condition could be keeping our more negative desires to ourselves.” She shrugs nonchalantly. “You don’t know.”</p><p>Katherine smirks. “That’s true. I have lots of unpleasant desires stashed away up here.” She taps her temple for emphasis. </p><p>The twins stare at her like the answer they’re looking for is written across her body somewhere, but after a look shared between them once again they shrug and move on. “There it is,” the one with a higher voice says loudly, waving his arms out to the doors.</p><p>“The door to your wildest dreams,” the other one - Hikaru? - says.</p><p>And together, “And we’re right on time.”</p><p>“On time for what?” Naomi crosses her arms and rests her weight on her right foot, jutting her hip out. The stance means serious Naomi is coming out and Genevieve looks at the twins with slightly widened eyes, trying to signal them to tone their theatrics down.</p><p>Katherine leans against the wall to the left of the door. Arms crossed and a smirk pulling at her lips, ready for a show. “You guys have popcorn?”</p><p>Genevieve looks between everyone, panic rising in her chest. She glances at the double doors located between the twins and she does the first thing she can think of. “Distraction!” She rushes forward and plows through the doors, throwing them open dramatically and holding her arms out. </p><p>Five pairs of eyes stare at her in surprise. Well, actually only two in surprise, two with little interest, and one with absolute fear. The last guy immediately fell over himself hiding behind the other boy in her class - Haruhi. Genevieve’s face lights up and she skips over to him with a bright smile. </p><p>“Oh, hey, Haruhi,” she chirps happily, stopping in front of the boy. She rests her fists on her hips, sporting a superhero power pose. “I forgot you’re in this club.”</p><p>“Hey, Genevieve-san. What are you doing here?” The boy sounds genuinely surprised to see her and Genevieve remembers that he wasn’t there when the twins had invited her. The boy turns to the blonde behind her and shoves him off of her. “Senpai, get off.”</p><p>The blonde boy stands up quickly and makes a show of wiping the non-existent dust off of his uniform. Genevieve covers her mouth as a giggle slips out, but she turns her attention back to the shorter boy. “The twins invited me to come be a guest. I brought my friends as well. I have a deal with them that I get to force them into social situations and this is our first stop.”</p><p>The tall blonde takes a confident step forward, bending at the waist to grab Genevieve’s hand and bring it to his lips. “Welcome, princess. The club is happy that you and your friends could join us.” He pulls a rose from behind his back, offering it to her. “What is your name, princess?”</p><p>Genevieve lifts a brow, wondering where on earth he pulled the rose from, but she smiles and takes it anyway. She loves flowers and would never turn one down. She opens her mouth to reply, but a monotone voice cuts her off.</p><p>“Genevieve Westwood, first-year. Transfer student from America alongside her friends Katherine Rowe and Naomi Pierce. Third child and only daughter of her family. Her parents own and run a high-end fashion brand - The W Brand - that is becoming increasingly popular among countries in Asia.” The boy finishes his announcement and closes his black book in one swift motion, pushing his gleaming glasses up with the other, revealing his gray eyes. </p><p>Genevieve tilts her head, but gives him a smile anyway. “Gen.”</p><p>The boy blinks at her, his face giving nothing away. “I’m sorry?”</p><p>“You can call me Gen; you all can. Genevieve is too formal and makes me feel a little out of place in this new culture.” She waves her hand around as if to prove her point, though the boy isn’t quite sure it is actually doing anything. </p><p>He hums. “Kyoya Ootori, but you may call me Kyoya and nothing shorter.”</p><p>Genevieve shrugs. “Works for me. I like your name anyway.” She turns to the others, missing the look Kyoya gives her. “What is everyone else’s names? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”</p><p>A small blonde boy jumps onto a taller boy’s shoulders and waves his free hand at her, his other arm preoccupied with holding a pink bunny. “I’m Mitskuni Haninozuka. But you can call me Honey!” His free hand pats the head of the taller boy he’s sitting on. “And this is Takashi Morinozuka, but you can call him Mori. Right Takashi?”</p><p>“Mm.” Is the only response and Genevieve’s eyebrows raise for a split second, but her smile never falters. </p><p>“We’re both third-years! We’re happy you’re here!” The boy’s voice raises and reaches a higher pitch to match his excitement. His smile is wide enough to look like it hurts, but he shows no signs of stopping any time soon. “Are you going to stay and be our guest?”</p><p>Genevieve nods her head at the reminder of her purpose here, similar excitement to the blonde boy’s suddenly bubbling inside of her. “Yeah! That’s my hope at least. I brought my friends because we have a deal that I’m in charge of, but they’re…” she glances over her shoulder at the door and the knowledge that they’re on the other side makes the club members perk up with curiosity, “willing, though rather hesitant.” She folds her hands in front of her body neatly, a glint of determination sparkling in her eyes, making her smile seem vaguely threatening. “They’re not allowed to leave though, so no matter how much they act appalled and complain about being here, try to keep them entertained.”</p><p>“But, of course, princess,” the taller blonde interjects quickly. His voice is soft and as smooth as honey, adding to his overflowing charms. Almost an overbearing amount. “It is our job after all to be sure that every girl is happy. I’m Tamaki Suoh, by the way. And any friend of my precious little Haruhi is a friend of mine.” He wraps his arm around the smaller boy and pulls him against his side, their expressions on opposite ends of the spectrum. </p><p>Genevieve chokes back a laugh at the sight of Haruhi’s face, but covers it with a cough. “Perfect. But I suggest you save those charms for them.” The doors slam open behind her and the grating sounds of an argument fill her ears, Naomi’s more than any other. Genevieve’s smile turns down slightly. “Actually, for your sake, I would cut the charms in half because my friends are… tough cookies.”</p><p>Tamaki’s face falls slightly, a hint of fear crossing his face as he glances over Genevieve’s shoulder at the incoming chaos between her two friends and the twins. Haruhi’s eyes widen, but more with intrigue than fear or shock. Genevieve glances at Kyoya who watches the scene with disinterest.</p><p>“You,” she waits for him to meet her eyes, “are doing great. Keep up the fantastic work. Keep doing that and they won’t eat you alive.”</p><p>Genevieve finally turns around and plasters her smile on. The twins are holding the double doors open, looking completely bored. Naomi is ranting about something, but the twins take each of her arms and guide her inside. Luckily she’s so enthralled with her own words that she fails to notice that she’s walked right into the heart of the club. Genevieve’s smile morphs into something dark, a smirk lifting one corner of her mouth higher. </p><p>“Naomi.” She walks up to her friend slowly. Best to air on the side of caution and approach her slowly when she’s on a rant. “Lovely, Naomi. You look exhausted from all of that talking. You should rest your throat. Don’t want you exerting yourself on your first day.” Genevieve wraps an arm around Naomi and leads her further into the room.</p><p>Naomi opens her mouth to object, but a scuffle from behind them cuts her off. Genevieve and Naomi turn around to see Katherine practically being dragged into the room by the twins. Their mischievous grins are back, eyes alight with the promise of something fun to do. Katherine goes limp in their arms, letting them pull her a few more steps, but Genevieve and Naomi know better. You don’t give Katherine a chance.</p><p>Genevieve rolls her eyes and Naomi crosses her arms, neither of them impressed by the triumphant smiles the twins are giving them. The girls give the twins two more seconds to silently boast before pointing behind them. “She’s not easy,” Genevieve notifies them.</p><p>The twins turn around and see Katherine backing up to the door quietly, but once she’s been spotted she immediately turns on her heel and sprints toward the doors leading to her freedom. The twins are quick to trip over themselves and chase after her. Hikaru reaches her first and grabs her around the waist, but their momentum makes them spin instead of coming to an immediate stop. Hikaru’s back meets the door and Katherine lands against Hikaru, feeling his breath on the back of her neck as all the air is expelled out of him in the form of an “oof”. </p><p>She tilts her head back, meeting his sharp eyes with apologetic ones. “Are you okay?”</p><p>His grimace quickly returns to a grin like some sort of default mode. He moves his lips beside her ear and whispers, “If I said no, how would you make it up to me?”</p><p>The other twin moves in quickly, smirking with a little less genuine interest in the situation and her eyebrow twitches. A thought crosses her mind quickly and her eyes sharpen on the boy in front of her. If they say which twin is which right now she can figure out which twin has the tell. The one behind her genuinely enjoys the cat and mouse chase, finding the journey just as entertaining as the reactions while the other finds it to be more of a means to an end. The one standing before her enjoys the reactions, but isn’t quite as entertained with the journey of how to get there. Interesting.</p><p>The inner psychologist in her perks up and she quickly loses interest in escaping, letting her body go limp once again. The twin in front of her brings her back to reality. “Giving up already?”</p><p>Katherine shrugs and finally taps into her exhaustion, letting her face appear fatigued and tired. “Whatever. I’ll just accept my fate.” It plays into her words from earlier in the classroom. But truly she just wants to prove her point before she leaves. If she can validate her theory, then that will once again prove that she’s good at what she does. </p><p>“Oh, but it was just starting to get fun. You can’t give up on us now.” The voice behind her complains, a slight whine to his tone, but overall, she can tell he’s trying to bait her. She remains silent, pushing away from him slightly. “Aw, Kaoru, our new toy is less fun than I thought.”</p><p>“I have to be here, but I don’t have to be enthusiastic. And after today, I don’t plan on visiting again.” Maybe, just maybe it’s working. </p><p>“You’re right, Hikaru, she gave up faster than I thought.” </p><p>Boom. Katherine holds back a smirk and Genevieve speaks up, finally. Normally, she would be annoyed it took her friend so long to come to her rescue, but this time she doesn’t mind. “Please release my friend.”</p><p>They do and Katherine steps away with a pleased smile on her face and a skip in her step. She turns around to face the confused twins, but continues walking backward toward the girls. “I’ve always been interested with the inner workings hidden behind the smoke and mirrors in twin relationships. Sibling bond takes on a whole new meaning, huh?” Katherine giggles to herself and spins around, meeting her friends and leaning her chin on Genevieve’s shoulder.</p><p>Genevieve lifts a brow. “You had your pondering face on.”</p><p>Katherine nods. “Yep. And I was right, so now I’m happy. Feels good to be right.” Katherine spots a chair outside the group of strangers and plops herself down, getting comfortable and almost immediately dozing off.</p><p>Naomi shakes her head and waves her arm around. “Okay, well I’m not happy.” She crosses her arm and stomps her foot, a slight pout forming on her face. “I demand answers.”</p><p>Genevieve sighs. “This is a host club.”</p><p>The older girl’s eyes nearly pop open, all earlier pouting instantly forgotten as she splutters out a confused response. “A- this- what? A h-host club? Like…” she trails off, too embarrassed to clarify, but looking for confirmation.</p><p>A loud laugh is heard to her left and Naomi turns her attention to the boy laughing dramatically. His laughter immediately comes to a stop and he all but teleports in front of her, handing her a red rose. It is free of thorns and Naomi stares down at it in confusion, turning it around between her fingers before looking up at him. Where did he get it from?</p><p>“It is not a host club in the way you are thinking. We simply entertain bored girls with too much time on their hands. The females at this school quite enjoy our company, so we entertain them with conversations and light snacks and refreshments. We are gentlemen, after all.”</p><p>Naomi looks him up and down, wondering if he’s some sort of robot that has been pre-programmed. “Oh, thanks. Well, that sounds…” she racks her brain for the right words, “that sounds so… yeah.” She nods at her words, confirming absolutely nothing.</p><p>A young looking blonde boy runs up to her and she becomes concerned. Is he a part of this club? His loud voice startles her from her thoughts before she can contemplate his presence at a host club too deeply. </p><p>“We have cake! All different kinds! Would you like some? We can get you whatever your favorite flavor is and they’re all amazing!” He grabs her hand and begins leading her to a door on the right side of the room, turning his head to meet her eyes. “What is your name?”</p><p>The two burst into the room and Naomi’s mouth begins watering at the sight of all the different types of cake. Her eyes gloss over as she imagines what each of them tastes like. A tap on her leg brings her widened eyes back down to the boy, and he stares up at her, head tilted to remind her of the question lingering in the air. </p><p>“Oh! Um, Naomi, but my friends and family have called me Mimi since I was a kid.”</p><p>The boy’s eyes light up. “Mimi-chan! That’s so cute. My name is Mitskuni, but I go by Honey! We both have cute nicknames! And we can eat cake together.” Honey becomes so full of excitement he looks like he may burst any moment. “And Takashi too!”</p><p>“Mn,” a deep voice agrees from behind her and she shrieks, whipping around. A tall boy stands a few feet behind them, lingering in front of the door. </p><p>Naomi brings a hand to her forehead, pushing her hair back. “Oh, my. Sorry, you frightened me. Or you didn’t, but I just didn’t hear you. That’s my bad. Sorry.”</p><p>Honey giggles at her. “You don’t have to keep saying sorry. Takashi understands. Right?”</p><p>“Mm,” the boy - Takashi - grunts as a response and Naomi’s brows furrow as she scans the boy’s face, but she quickly composes herself and averts her gaze back to the cakes.</p><p>It’s rude to stare, she mentally reminds herself. “So cake?”</p><p>Honey excitedly grabs her hand again and drags her to the cakes on display in what she assumes is a kitchen. But isn’t this a music room? Why is there a kitchen? Naomi shakes her head and forces herself to focus on the voice of the boy rapidly listing off cake flavors to her. </p><p>Back in the main room, Kyoya is informing the members that the club is about to officially open which means they need to be in place for their appointments. He spares an accusatory glance at an unconscious Katherine as he says “distractions”. Tamaki goes on a rant about helping a friend with her deal to her friends, eagerly raising a fist in the air with a fist planted on his hip as he loudly announces the trio as their “guests of honor”. </p><p>Kyoya lets out a long exhale through his nose, but reveals no emotions through his expressions. Genevieve watches him carefully, feeling uneasy by his presence, but ignores it in favor of focusing on Tamaki’s words.</p><p>“Guests of honor?” She questions.</p><p>“Yes, you three are new to our school, and you have even arrived from out of the country, so it is our duty to formally welcome you.”</p><p>Genevieve tilts her head and reveals a giddy smile. “Excellent. I love the sound of that.”</p>
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